Italy hero Paolo Rossi broke Brazil’s hearts in 1982 and changed the way they played in World Cups going forward
The death of Paolo Rossi was, of course, big news in his native Italy. But it was also a huge story in Brazil.
He was, as he named his autobiography, the man ‘who made Brazil cry.’
Paolo Rossi was the man who made Brazil cry at the 1982 World CupCredit: Getty Images – Getty
He was once thrown out of a taxi in Sao Paulo by a driver with graphic memories of the most extraordinary day in his life – the hat trick he scored in 1982 in one of the all time great World Cup games which knocked Brazil out of the competition.
Rossi had been out of the game for two years after being caught in a betting scandal.
He stumbled through three draws in the group phase as Italy flirted with early elimination, and then suddenly got his groove back.
He followed his goals against Brazil with more against Poland and West Germany as Italy charged to the title. They went on to glory.
Brazil went home early. They had not even reached the last four – and this was to have serious consequences.
World Cup winning captain in 1994 and Brazil’s coach in 2010, Dunga described the 1982 side as “specialists in losing.”
Brazil responded by the defeat against Rossi by looking for another way to win. The physical development of the game, they argued, had made it too much of a risk to try the old style possession football of Zico, Socrates and the class of 82.
Instead the future lay in holding the fort in midfield and launching quick counter attacks down the flanks.
Rossi’s famous hat trick knocked Brazil out of the 1982 World Cup Credit: AP:Associated Press
Brazil have won subsequent World Cups – in 1994 and 2002 – but never won as many friends as they did in their heyday, either in that 1958-70 period, or indeed, in 1982.
A few years ago I was involved in a TV documentary about that Brazil team, and I had the chance to interview many of the players.
They were still regularly receiving fan mail from all over the world – proof that football is not about what you do. It is also about the way that you do it.
It is not hard to pick flaws in that Brazil side. Big centre forward Serginho was a blunt instrument – a real threat at club level where wingers fired in crosses for him to attack, but lost when asked to combine with a wonderfully skilful midfield.
Valdir Peres was a long way from being Brazil’s best ever keeper. Both full backs were magnificent players. But Leandro on the right and Junior on the left wanted to be midfielders, and left space behind them – which Italy exploited.
There were two extra problems with Leandro. He was not in great physical shape – he was already suffering with his knees – and he was also poorly protected.
Eder played wide on the left, but there was no one doing a similar job on the right. The idea was that other players would rotate to fill this space.
It was not a great success. In the group phase against Scotland Zico even offered to come off at half time to make way for a genuine right winger.
Brazil, then, had chinks at the back and up front, and even their midfield had a balance which was not ideal.
Brazil boasted skill players like Zico who loved playing a possession gameCredit: Bongarts – Getty
Brazil won World Cup tournaments in both 1994 (pictured) and 2002 playing a more pragmatic styleCredit: AFP – Getty
But they could really make that ball sing. They were not a dribbling team. Coach Tele Santana frowned on dribbling unless it was in the last third of the field.
Falcao, Toninho Cerezo, Zico, Socrates, Eder and Junior passed and moved with rare joy and creativity.
They were a great side – and it is a massive tribute to Paolo Rossi that on that day in Spain he was good enough to beat them.
Italy legend Paolo Rossi is taken from the morgue in Policlinico to Vicenza in Siena More
